"This guy is a little too light in the loafers to fill Strom Thurmond's shoes," stated a press release written by South Carolina Democratic Party chairman Dick Harpootlian. The statement came after Rep. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., announced his intention on Wednesday to run for the soon-to-be-empty seat of retiring Senate fossil Thurmond, R-S.C.

"Light in the loafers" is a well-known anti-gay slur, but Harpootlian insists that that's not how he meant it. He says that, where he comes from, people understand that there was nothing sexual about the remark. "It's just confusing to reporters in Yankee land," Harpootlian says.

He declares that he made his comment in response to Bob Jones III, president of Bob Jones University, who quickly endorsed Graham's run. "The Rev. Dr. Bob Jones called Graham a heavyweight who could fill Strom Thurmond's shoes," Harpootlian explains. Consequently, Harpootlian felt that labeling Graham as "light in the loafers" was a perfectly appropriate response "in the battle of the shoe barbs."

Considering some of the things Harpootlian has said in the past about political opponents, Graham got off easy. In 1999, Harpootlian referred to Republicans in the South Carolina Legislature as "those son of a bitches." He later apologized for his "distracting" language, but slipped again, calling those same GOP lawmakers "bastards."

As for Bob Jones University, there's little worry that Graham will pay any political price for accepting its namesake president's endorsement. During the Republican primary, then-candidate George W. Bush got into trouble for visiting the school, which had once forbidden interracial dating and has referred to the Catholic and Mormon churches as cults.

While he emphasizes that Jones personally endorsed Graham, and that the school itself was politically neutral, school spokesman Jonathan Pait insists that a good word from Jones is not a bad deal in a South Carolina race. "The people in this state know the real Bob Jones University," he said. "Not the one Salon [and other national media] writes about."

Kevin Bishop, Graham's press secretary, said that the congressman's official response to Jones' endorsement speaks for itself. "I am honored to have the support of people like Dr. Jones. They believe in conservative government," Graham said.
-- Alicia Montgomery [3:45 p.m. PST, Feb. 23, 2001]

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